If the two players have in common their nationality and their precocity, their careers have taken different trajectories.

Arrived very young at Real Madrid, Odegaard disappeared from the radar according to the loans, when Haaland began to panic the counters in Salzburg, then Dortmund.

The 22-year-old center forward (1.94m), transferred to Manchester City this summer, is currently the most famous name and face in Norwegian football.

But the 24-year-old attacking midfielder (1.78m) has returned to the spotlight since joining Arsenal in 2021.

Promoted to captain last summer, Odegaard is one of the keys to the success of the Gunners, in search of a 14th national title after 19 years of waiting.

In mid-February, Odegaard already had eight goals and seven assists in all competitions, as many as all of last season.

"Martin Odegaard, what a player, what a season. World class. He's a leader on the pitch for Arsenal. It's great for them, great for Norwegian football," former player Roar Stokke told AFP. and commentator for broadcaster Viaplay.

- Odegaard, at Real at 16 -

Performances commensurate with his enormous talent revealed very early in Norway.

He made his league debut there in 2014 with Stromsgodset IF, aged 15 years and 118 days, becoming the youngest player in the history of the Norwegian top division.

In 2015, he signed at 16 with Real Madrid for 4 million euros, but mainly played with the reserve team.

After loans in the Netherlands, Heerenveen and Vitesse Arnhem, he landed at Real Sociedad, where he confirmed the promises he had made in his debut.

After a brief return to Real, he was loaned in January 2021 to Arsenal, who definitively secured his services six months later for 40 million euros.

The N.10 is now the conductor of the Gunners, even if the mechanics of the London club have stalled for three matches.

Arsenal are now just three points clear at the top, although they are one game less than City.

Manchester City's Norwegian striker Erling Haaland against Chelsea on January 5, 2023 at Stamford Bridge © Glyn KIRK / IKIMAGES/AFP/Archives

The Mancunian club, which is having a mixed start to the year 2023, won Sunday against Aston Villa (3-1).

Decisive passer, Haaland had to go out as a precaution after being treated for a thigh.

If he scored a lot before the World Cup, for which Norway was not qualified, Haaland then slowed the pace a bit, leaving the star to Riyad Mahrez, author of 6 goals and 3 assists since January.

- Haaland, goal machine -

The Norwegian nevertheless remains a goal machine: 25 in the league, of which he is unsurprisingly the current top scorer, and five in the Champions League.

For five seasons, Haaland has martyred the opposing nets.

After debuting at 15, like Odegaard, but in the second division, he really revealed himself in Austria in Salzburg.

Transferred in 2019 to Borussia Dortmund, he stacked up doubles, triplets and even quadruplets and notably scored 41 goals in 2020-2021.

"Odegaard and Haaland are such an inspiration to other players and Norwegian football," Roar Stokke said.

Admittedly Norway only points to 43rd place in the Fifa rankings and was not in the running in Qatar, but the future is promising abounds Tor-Kristian Karlsen, former sports director of Monaco and Maccabi Haifa.

"There are a lot of positive vibes around the team," he told AFP.

Coach Stale Solbakken "may not have obtained results yet, but he remains a very positive and endearing figurehead. He dares to be ambitious and believes in our qualification (for the World Cup-2026, editor's note).

Norwegians Erling Haaland (g), Kristoffer Ajer (c) and Martin Odegaard, during a match against Romania, October 11, 2020 in Oslo © Vidar Ruud / NTB / AFP / Archives

Before thinking about the 2026 World Cup they hope to play together, Odegaard and Haaland have a Premier League title to contend for.

© 2023 AFP